16 March 2025 – 2nd Sunday of Lent (Year C)

by Fr Raymond Raj

Brothers and sisters, forgive my voice today. I have a terrible flu and sinus.

Speaking of listening, the word ‘LISTEN‘ contains the same alphabets as per the word ‘SILENT‘. You see the word ‘LISTEN‘ and ‘SILENT‘? both of them have the same alphabets. Go back and check.

The first rule of any spirituality, the first rule of any form of spirituality is to listen. Listen first. Very often, brothers and sisters, we do not listen with the intent to understand but most of us here, including myself, very often we listen in order to reply. With the intent to reply, we listen. Not to understand for most of us. Regardless of our age, we listen with the intention to reply.

So speaking of listening, a little story comes to my mind.

During a Healing Mass (you know Healing Mass? In this parish, we are going to do it in June), during a Healing Mass, Father Michael told the congregation:

‘My dear brothers and sisters, those who are not well, those who are sick and need praying over (you know praying over? Those who are not well, sick (some of you here are expert of praying over, I know), please come forward.

So rather middle aged man stand up from the pew and came to the sanctuary to be prayed by Father Michael. So Father Michael asked this middle aged man:

‘What do you want me to pray for? Tell me, what do you want me to pray for?’

The man replied, ‘Father, please pray for my hearing. Please pray for my hearing.’

So immediately Father Michael stretched out his hands, with enthusiasm put his hands on the man’s ear and prayed over very loudly. After ten minutes of praying over, Father Michael asked this young man, ‘How do you feel now? Better?’

The man said, ‘Father, my hearing is next Monday at High Court. My hearing is at High Court next Monday. Father, next time learn to listen. Father, next time you must learn first how to listen.’

 

Brothers and sisters in the Lord, poor hearing is the root cause of many disagreements, many tensions, be it in the parish, family or society.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus transfigured Himself on a very high mountain. The transfiguration of Jesus took place at a very critical moment in the life of Jesus because Jesus was preparing Himself to go to Jerusalem where brutal and torture awaits Him.

Brothers and sisters, there are many things you and I can learn from this event of transfiguration. But as for me today, there is one message that stands out very strong which is the word:

This is my beloved. Listen to Him.

 

Brothers and sisters, as you and I grow in age, all of us here, as we grow in age, listening becomes difficult for most of us because the world has coloured our experience of life. The world has coloured our experience of spirituality. That is why when it comes to faith and spirituality, most of us here do not give our best. We fear the world may judge us.

So brothers and sisters, Peter, James and John even though they had the first-class view, the premium view of the glory of Jesus during transfiguration, during the passion of Jesus, three of them, Peter, James and John betrayed Jesus even though they have the premium view of this glory of Jesus. That said however, after the resurrection of Jesus, they repented. For the first time in their life, they have listened to the inner voice of God.

Likewise, my dear brothers and sisters, every Sunday, week in week out we receive the Holy Eucharist. We hear the Word of God every Sunday and the question remains:

Am I becoming a better listener? Or am I just the same, pretending to be deaf?

Brothers and sisters, unless and until we listen to God’s prompting, very powerful words, unless and until you listen to God’s prompting there will be no growth in your spiritual life.

Brothers and sisters, in today’s modern world, there is no need for you and for me to look for mountains for spiritual enlightenment. Don’t look for mountains because Jesus Christ, the Living God, He has chosen this altar, this very altar that you are seeing here today, to be transfigured or rather transform to us every single day.

Don’t look for mountains. Look for altars.

Brothers and sisters, my little advice to you today is:

Each time you attend or participate in the Holy Mass, please keep your little toy (you know your little toy? Handphone). Please keep that little Satan in your car. Because handphones can be a major destruction in this Holy Living Sacrifice.

I tell you what. I can share my experience. The past 10 years since seminary and now priest for 2 years, never once (you can check me if you want), never once in my life, 10 years, I have carried a handphone during Mass celebration. And this has helped me to be extra focused to listen more carefully for every word that is pronounced, that is proclaimed in this Holy Sanctuary.

So today, brothers and sisters, let us pray for the grace to be a good listener because you know why? Only a good listener can do the will of God. Only a good listener is able to do the will of God.

We pray for the grace today to be a good listener.

Amen.

Click below to listen to homily and watch video

Click to live-stream Mass on 16 March 2025